Franklin Joseph Lymon (September 30, 1942 – February 27, 1968) was an American

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated within African American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predomina ...

singer and songwriter, best known as the

boy soprano A boy soprano (British and especially North American English) or boy treble (only British English) is a young male singer with a voice in the soprano range, a range that is often still called the treble voice range (in North America too) no m ...

lead singer of the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

-based early

doo-wop Doo-wop (also spelled doowop and doo wop) is a subgenre of rhythm and blues music that originated in African-American communities during the 1940s, mainly in the large cities of the United States, including New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, ...

group

the Teenagers The Teenagers were an American music group, most noted for being one of rock music's earliest successes, presented to international audiences by DJ Alan Freed. The group, which made its most popular recordings with young Frankie Lymon as lead ...

. The group was composed of five boys, all in their early to mid-teens. The original lineup of the Teenagers, an integrated group, included three African-American members, Lymon,

Jimmy Merchant James Edward Merchant (born February 10, 1940) is an American singer and musician. He was a member of the doo-wop group The Teenagers. Merchant was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of the Teenagers. He retired from ...

, and Sherman Garnes; and two Puerto Rican members,

Joe Negroni Jose Negroni (September 9, 1940 – September 5, 1978) was an American singer of Puerto Rican descent. He was a rock and roll pioneer and founding member of the rock and roll group Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers. Early years Negroni's famil ...

and Herman Santiago. The Teenagers' first single, 1956's " Why Do Fools Fall in Love", was also their biggest hit. After Lymon went solo in mid-1957, both his career and that of the Teenagers fell into decline. In 1968, Lymon was found dead at age 25 on the floor of his grandmother's bathroom from a

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...

overdose. Lymon was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993 as a member of the Teenagers. His life was dramatized in the 1998 film '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love''.

Biography

1942–56: Early life/joining the Teenagers

Franklin Joseph Lymon was born in Washington Heights, New York City, on September 30, 1942, to Jeanette and Howard Lymon. Howard was a truck driver and Jeanette was a maid. Both also sang in the gospel group the Harlemaires; Frankie and his brothers, Lewis and Howie, sang with the Harlemaire Juniors (a fourth brother, Timmy, was also a singer, though not with the Harlemaire Juniors). The Lymons struggled to make ends meet, so Lymon began working as a grocery boy at age 10. He was as a child and as an adult. At age 12 in 1954, Lymon heard a local

group known as the Coupe De Villes at a school talent show. He became friends with the lead singer Herman Santiago, and eventually became a member of the group, now calling itself both the Ermines and the Premiers. One day in 1955, a neighbor gave the Premiers several love letters that had been written to him by his girlfriend, hoping to give the boys inspiration to write their own songs.

and Santiago adapted one of the letters into a song called "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". The Premiers, now calling themselves the Teenagers, got their first shot at fame after impressing Richard Barrett, a singer with the Valentines. Barrett, in turn, got the group an audition with record producer

George Goldner George Goldner (February 9, 1918 – April 15, 1970) was an American record label owner, record producer and promoter who played an important role in establishing the popularity of rock and roll in the 1950s, by recording and promoting many ...

. On the day of the group's audition, original lead singer Santiago was late. Lymon stepped up and told Goldner that he knew the part since he helped write the song. The disc jockeys always called them "Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers".

1956: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" success

Goldner signed the group to

Gee Records Gee Records was a New York–based American record label formed as a subsidiary to Gloria Gee George Goldner's Tico Records and Rama Records labels in 1953 to honor the million selling hit song " Gee" (1953). Sometime in 1955 Goldner (an inveterat ...

, and "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" became its first single in January 1956. The single peaked at No. 6 on the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

'' pop singles chart, and topped the ''Billboard''

R&B singles chart The Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart ranks the most popular R&B and hip hop songs in the United States and is published weekly by ''Billboard''. Rankings are based on a measure of radio airplay, sales data, and streaming activity. The chart had 100 po ...

for five weeks. Four other top 10 R&B singles followed over the next year or so: "

I Want You to Be My Girl "I Want You to Be My Girl" is a song written by George Goldner and Richard Barrett and performed by The Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon. It reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart and #13 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart in 1956. The song was feature ...

", " I Promise to Remember", " Who Can Explain?" (the B side of " I Promise to Remember" but which charted on its own), " The ABC's of Love", and "

I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent "I'm Not a Juvenile Delinquent" is a song written by George Goldner and performed by The Teenagers, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers for the 1956 film ''Rock, Rock, Rock!'', which also appeared on the soundtrack for the Rock, Rock, Rock! (soundtra ...

". "I Want You To Be My Girl" gave the band its second pop hit, reaching No. 13 on the national Billboard Hot 100 chart. "

Goody Goody "Goody Goody" is a 1936 popular music, popular song composed by Matty Malneck, with lyrics by Johnny Mercer. The first recording of the song was by Ted Wallace and His Swing Kings (vocal refrain by male trio) luebird, B-6252-B, 1936 Other 19 ...

" (written by Matty Malneck and Johnny Mercer and originally performed by Benny Goodman) was a No. 20 pop hit but did not appear on the R&B chart. The Teenagers placed two other singles in the lower half of the pop chart. With the release of "I Want You To Be My Girl", the group's second single, the Teenagers became Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers. However, the album that mostly compiled the singles released in 1956 came out under the older name: ''

The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon ''The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon'' is the only album by The Teenagers Featuring Frankie Lymon and was released in 1956. The album featured five singles with all singles charting on at least one chart and one single's B-side, " Who Can E ...

''.

1957–65: Solo career

In early 1957, Lymon and the Teenagers broke up while on a tour in Europe. During an engagement at the

London Palladium The London Palladium () is a Grade II* West End theatre located on Argyll Street, London, in Soho. The theatre was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1910. The auditorium holds 2,286 people. Hundreds of stars have played there, many wit ...

, Goldner began pushing Lymon as a solo act, giving him solo spots in the show. Lymon began performing with backing from pre-recorded tapes. The group's last single, "

" backed with "Creation of Love," initially retained the "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers" credit, but they were actually solo recordings (with backing by session singers). Lymon had officially departed from the group by September 1957; an in-progress studio album called ''Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers at the London Palladium'' was instead issued as a Lymon solo release. As a solo artist, Lymon was not nearly as successful as he had been with the Teenagers. Beginning with his second solo release, "My Girl", Lymon had moved to

Roulette Records Roulette Records was an American record company and label founded in 1957 by George Goldner, Joe Kolsky, Morris Levy and Phil Kahl, with creative control given to producers and songwriters Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore. Levy was appointed ...

. On a July 19, 1957, episode of

Alan Freed Albert James "Alan" Freed (December 15, 1921 – January 20, 1965) was an American disc jockey. He also produced and promoted large traveling concerts with various acts, helping to spread the importance of rock and roll music throughout Nor ...

's live

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting * Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...

TV show '' The Big Beat'', Lymon began dancing with a white teenage girl while performing. His actions caused a scandal, particularly among Southern TV station owners, and ''The Big Beat'' was subsequently canceled. Lymon's slowly declining sales fell sharply in the early 1960s. His highest-charting solo hit was a cover of

Bobby Day Robert James Byrd (July 1, 1930 – July 27, 1990), known by the stage name Bobby Day, was an American singer, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and songwriter. He is best known for his hit record " Rockin' Robin", written by Leon René un ...

's "

Little Bitty Pretty One "Little Bitty Pretty One" is a 1957 song written and originally recorded by Bobby Day. That same year, the song was popularized by Thurston Harris. Produced by Aladdin Records (located in Los Angeles, Calif.), and featuring the Sharps on backi ...

", which peaked at No. 58 on the Hot 100 pop chart in 1960 and which had been recorded in 1957. Addicted to

since he was 15, Lymon fell further into his habit and his performing career went into decline. According to Lymon in an interview with ''

Ebony Ebony is a dense black/brown hardwood, coming from several species in the genus '' Diospyros'', which also includes the persimmon tree. A few ''Diospyros'' species, such as macassar and mun ebony, are dense enough to sink in water. Ebony is fin ...

'' magazine in 1967, he was first introduced to heroin at age 15 by a woman twice his age. In 1961, Roulette, now run by

Morris Levy Morris Levy (born Moishe Levy; August 27, 1927 – May 21, 1990) was an American entrepreneur in the fields of jazz clubs, music publishing, and the independent record industry. Levy was cofounder and owner of Roulette Records, founding partner ...

, ended their contract with Lymon and he entered a

drug rehabilitation Drug rehabilitation is the process of medical or psychotherapeutic treatment for dependency on psychoactive substances such as alcohol, prescription drugs, and street drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. The general int ...

program. After losing Lymon, the Teenagers went through a string of replacement singers, the first of whom was Billy Lobrano. In 1960, Howard Kenny Bobo sang lead on "Tonight's the Night" with the Teenagers; later that year, Johnny Houston sang lead on two songs. The Teenagers, who had been moved by Morris Levy to End Records, were released from their contract in 1961. The Teenagers briefly reunited with Lymon in 1965, without success.

1966–68: Later years

Over the next four years, Lymon struggled through short-lived deals with

20th Century Fox Records 20th Century Fox Records (also known as 20th Fox Records and 20th Century Records, or simply 20th Century Fox Film Scores and Fox Records) was a wholly owned subsidiary of film studio 20th Century Fox. The history of the label covers three distin ...

and

Columbia Records Columbia Records is an American reco ...

. He began a relationship with Elizabeth Mickey Waters, who became his first wife in January 1964 and gave birth to his only child, a baby girl named Francine who died two days after birth at Lenox Hill Hospital. Lymon's marriage to Waters was not legal because she was still married to her first husband at the time. After the marriage failed, Lymon moved to

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

in the mid-1960s, where he began a romantic relationship with

Zola Taylor Zoletta Lynn Taylor (March 17, 1938 – April 30, 2007) was an American singer. She was the original female member of The Platters from 1954 to 1962, when the group produced most of their popular singles. Litigation Zola Taylor was a member o ...

, a member of the Platters. Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

in 1965 although their relationship ended several months later, purportedly because of Lymon's drug habits. However, Lymon was known to say that their marriage was a publicity stunt, and Taylor could produce no legal documentation of their marriage. In Major Robinson's gossip column of June 6, 1966, Zola said the whole thing was a joke that she went along with at the time (October 1965). Lymon appeared at the Apollo as part of a revue, adding an extended tap dance number. He recorded several live performances (such as "Melinda" in 1959), but none rose on the charts. Lymon's final television performance was on ''

Hollywood a Go-Go ''Hollywood a Go Go'' was a Los Angeles–based music variety show that ran in syndication from 1965 to 1966. The show was hosted by Sam Riddle, with music by The Sinners and dancing by The Gazzarri Dancers. It was filmed at the KHJ-TV stud ...

'' in 1965, where the 22-year-old

lip-synch Lip sync or lip synch (pronounced , like the word ''sink'', despite the spelling of the participial forms ''synced'' and ''syncing''), short for lip synchronization, is a technical term for matching a speaking or singing person's lip movements ...

ed to the recording of his 13-year-old self singing "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". On June 21, 1966, Lymon was arrested on a heroin charge and was drafted into the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

in lieu of a jail sentence. He reported to

Fort Gordon, Georgia Fort Gordon, formerly known as Fort Eisenhower and Camp Gordon, is a United States Army installation established southwest of Augusta, Georgia in October 1941. It is the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps, United States Army Cy ...

, near

Augusta, Georgia Augusta is a city on the central eastern border of the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. The city lies directly across the Savannah River from North Augusta, South Carolina at the head of its navigable portion. Augusta, the third mos ...

, for training. While in the Augusta area, Lymon met and fell in love with Emira Eagle, a schoolteacher at Hornsby Elementary in Augusta. The two were wed in June 1967, and Lymon repeatedly went

AWOL Desertion is the abandonment of a military duty or post without permission (a pass, liberty or leave) and is done with the intention of not returning. This contrasts with unauthorized absence (UA) or absence without leave (AWOL ), which ...

to secure gigs at small Southern clubs. Dishonorably discharged from the Army, Lymon moved into his wife's home and continued to perform sporadically. Traveling to New York in 1968, Lymon was signed by manager Sam Bray to his Big Apple label, and the singer returned to recording.

expressed interest in releasing Lymon's records in conjunction with Big Apple and scheduled a recording session for February 28. A major promotion had been arranged with CHO Associates, owned by radio personalities Frankie Crocker, Herb Hamlett, and Eddie O'Jay. Lymon, staying at his grandmother's apartment in

Harlem Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater ...

, where he had grown up, celebrated his good fortune by relapsing into his addiction by taking heroin. Lymon had remained clean since entering the Army two years earlier.

Death

On February 27, 1968, Lymon was found dead on the floor of his grandmother's bathroom from a

overdose with a syringe by his side. Lymon was only 25 years old. The overdose was a result from "acute intravenous narcotism," according to his death certificate. Lymon, a

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

, was buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the

Throggs Neck Throggs Neck (also known as Throgs Neck) is a neighborhood and peninsula in the south-eastern portion of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. It is bounded by the East River and Long Island Sound to the south and east, Westchester Creek o ...

section of

The Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

, New York City. In addition to his burial, Lymon has a second tombstone that has never been erected on his former unmarked grave due to one of his wives placing her own on it, but is displayed at a museum in Bay City, Michigan.

Posthumous troubles

"I'm Sorry" and "Seabreeze" are the two songs that Lymon had recorded for Big Apple before his death, and were posthumously released later in 1969. Apart from the posthumous releases of these songs, Lymon's troubles extended to others after his death. After

Diana Ross Diana Ross (born Diane Ernestine Earle Ross March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. Known as the "Queen of Motown Records", she was the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown#Major divisions, Motown's most suc ...

returned "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" to the Top Ten in 1981, a major controversy concerning Lymon's estate ensued. Having neglected to divorce any of them and each claiming to be Frankie Lymon's rightful widow,

, Elizabeth Waters, and Emira Eagle approached Morris Levy, the music impresario who retained possession of Lymon's copyrights and his royalties. The complex issue resulted in lawsuits and counter-lawsuits, and in 1986 the first of several court cases concerning the ownership of Lymon's estate began. Trying to determine who was indeed the lawful Mrs. Frankie Lymon was complicated by more issues. Waters was already married when she married Lymon; she had separated from her first husband, but their divorce was finalized in 1965, after she had married Lymon. Taylor claimed to have married Lymon in Mexico in 1965, but could produce no acceptable evidence of their union. Lymon's marriage to Eagle, on the other hand, was properly documented as having taken place at Beulah Grove Baptist Church in Augusta, Georgia, in 1967; however, the singer was still apparently twice-married and never divorced when he married Eagle. The first decision was made in Waters' favor; Eagle appealed, and in 1989, the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court reversed the original decision and awarded Lymon's estate to Eagle. However, the details of the case brought about another issue: whether mobster Morris Levy was deserving of the songwriting co-credit on "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". Although early single releases of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" credit Frankie Lymon, Herman Santiago, and Jimmy Merchant as co-writers, later releases and cover versions were attributed to Lymon and George Goldner. When Goldner sold his music companies to Morris Levy in 1959, Levy's name began appearing as co-writer of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" in place of Goldner's. Lymon was never paid his songwriting royalties during his lifetime; one result of Emira Eagle's legal victory was that Lymon's estate would finally begin receiving monetary compensation from his hit song's success. In 1987, Herman Santiago and Jimmy Merchant, both by then poor, sued Morris Levy's estate for their songwriting credits. In December 1992, the

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York The United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (in case citations, S.D.N.Y.) is a federal trial court whose geographic jurisdiction encompasses eight counties of the State of New York. Two of these are in New York City ...

ruled that Santiago and Merchant were co-authors of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love". However, in 1996 the ruling was reversed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit on the basis of the

statute of limitations A statute of limitations, known in civil law systems as a prescriptive period, is a law passed by a legislative body to set the maximum time after an event within which legal proceedings may be initiated. ("Time for commencing proceedings") In ...

: copyright cases must be brought before a court within three years of the alleged civil violation while Merchant and Santiago's lawsuit was not filed until 30 years later. Authorship of "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" currently remains in the names of Frankie Lymon and Morris Levy.

Legacy

Although their period of success was brief, Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' string of hits were highly influential on the rock and R&B performers who followed them. Lymon's high-voiced sound is said to be a direct predecessor of the

girl group A girl group is a music act featuring two or more women in music, female singers who generally vocal harmony, harmonize together. The term "girl group" is also used in a narrower sense in the United States to denote the wave of American female p ...

sound, and the list of performers who name him as an influence include

Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Michael Jackson, one of the most culturally significan ...

Ronnie Spector Veronica Yvette Greenfield (, formerly Spector; August 10, 1943 – January 12, 2022) was an American singer who co-founded and fronted the girl group the Ronettes. She is sometimes referred to as the original "bad girl of rock and roll". ...

the Chantels The Chantels are a pop music group and are the third African-American girl group to enjoy nationwide success in the United States, preceded by The Teen Queens and The Bobbettes. The group was established in the early 1950s by students attendi ...

the Temptations The Temptations is an American vocal group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1961 as The Elgins, known for their string of successful singles and albums with Motown from the 1960s to the mid-1970s. The group's work with producer Norman Whitfield ...

, George Clinton,

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American R&B and soul singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive. He was the founder and frontman of the pioneering Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he ...

Len Barry Leonard Warren Borisoff (June 12, 1942 – November 5, 2020), known professionally by the stage name Len Barry, was an American singer, songwriter, lyricist, record producer, author, and poet. Life and career Born on June 12, 1942, and raised ...

the Beach Boys The Beach Boys are an American Rock music, rock band formed in Hawthorne, California, in 1961. The group's original lineup consisted of brothers Brian Wilson, Brian, Dennis Wilson, Dennis, and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and their f ...

and

Billy Joel William Martin Joel (born May 9, 1949) is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Piano Man" after his Signature song, signature 1973 song Piano Man (song), of the same name, Joel has ha ...

, among others. The performers most inspired by and derivative of Lymon and the Teenagers' style are

the Jackson 5 The Jackson 5, later known as the Jacksons, are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was formed in Gary, Indiana in 1964, and originally consisted of brothers Jackie, Ti ...

and their lead singer and future superstar

Motown Motown is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. Founded by Berry Gordy, Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on January 12, 1959, it was incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau ...

founder

Berry Gordy Berry Gordy III (born November 28, 1929), also known as Berry Gordy Jr., is an American retired record executive, record producer, songwriter, film producer and television producer. He is best known as the founder of the Motown record label and i ...

based much of the Jackson 5's sound on Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers' recordings, and the Teenagers are believed to be the original model for many of the other Motown groups he cultivated.Fotenot, Robert. "Profile: Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers." In 1973, Lymon became known to a slightly younger generation than before with the release of ''

American Graffiti ''American Graffiti'' is a 1973 American coming-of-age comedy-drama film directed by George Lucas, produced by Francis Ford Coppola, written by Willard Huyck, Gloria Katz and Lucas, and starring Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat ...

'', which included "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" on its soundtrack. In September 1979 at the Santa Barbara Bowl,

Joni Mitchell Roberta Joan Mitchell (née Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian and American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and painter. As one of the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitch ...

performed a version of "Why Do Fools Fall In Love" which subsequently appeared on the release of her album of the concert entitled "Shadows and Light" the following September. During the opening mix of the album, Mitchell also spliced sections of "I'm Not A Juvenile Delinquent" into the title track refrains. The Fall referenced Lymon in "No X-mas for John Quays" on their March 1979 album '' Live at the Witch Trials''. The English band

Everything but the Girl Everything but the Girl are an English musical duo formed in Kingston upon Hull in 1982, consisting of lead singer, songwriter, composer and occasional guitarist Tracey Thorn and guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer, producer and sing ...

, on their 1991 album '' Worldwide'', include the song "Boxing and Pop Music" which references Lymon throughout the song. Lymon was mentioned in the 1992

Stephen King Stephen Edwin King (born September 21, 1947) is an American author. Dubbed the "King of Horror", he is widely known for his horror novels and has also explored other genres, among them Thriller (genre), suspense, crime fiction, crime, scienc ...

short story " You Know They Got a Hell of a Band". Lymon is named as the one who cut off the waitress Sissy's finger for trying to help the protagonists, Mary and Clark Willingham, escape from the town of Rock & Roll Heaven, Oregon, which is inhabited by

Janis Joplin Janis Lyn Joplin (January 19, 1943 – October 4, 1970) was an American singer and songwriter. One of the most iconic and successful Rock music, rock performers of her era, she was noted for her powerful mezzo-soprano vocals and her "electric" ...

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is regarded as one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

Roy Orbison Roy Kelton Orbison (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) was an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist known for his distinctive and powerful voice, complex song structures, and dark, emotional ballads. Orbison's most successful periods were ...

, and other musicians who died young. In 1993, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers were inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...

and into the

Vocal Group Hall of Fame The Vocal Group Hall of Fame & Museum Company Inc. was an American-based hall of fame that honored vocal groups throughout the United States. James E. Winner Jr. was the financial and managing partner of the For-profit corporation. Winner and ...

in 2000. Lymon's music and story were eventually re-introduced to modern audiences with '' Why Do Fools Fall in Love'', a 1998 biographical film directed by

Gregory Nava Gregory James Nava (born April 10, 1949) is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. Personal life Nava was born in San Diego, of Mexican and Basque heritage. Nava graduated from St. Augustine High School in San Diego and attended ...

, also the director of the ''

Selena Selena Quintanilla-Pérez (; April 16, 1971 – March 31, 1995) was an American singer-songwriter. Known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Tejano Music", her contributions to music and fashion made her one of the most cel ...

'' biopic. ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' tells a comedic, fictionalized version of Lymon's story from the points of view of his three wives as they battle in court for the rights to his estate. The film stars

Larenz Tate Larenz Tate (born September 8, 1975) is an American film and television actor. He is best known for his roles as O-Dog in ''Menace II Society'', Anthony Curtis in ''Dead Presidents'', and as Councilman Rashad Tate in '' Power''. Tate's other fi ...

as Frankie Lymon,

Halle Berry Halle Maria Berry ( ; born Maria Halle Berry; August 14, 1966) is an American actress. She began her career as a model and entered several beauty contests, finishing as the first runner-up in the Miss USA pageant of 1986 and also placing six ...

as Zola Taylor,

Vivica A. Fox Vivica Anjanetta Fox (born July 30, 1964) is an American actress and producer. She began her career on ''Soul Train'' (19821983) and played roles on the daytime television soap operas ''Days of Our Lives'' (1988) and ''Generations (American TV s ...

as Elizabeth Waters and

Lela Rochon Lela Rochon Fuqua (born Lela Rochon Staples; April 17, 1964) is an American actress. She is best known for her starring role as Robin Stokes in the 1995 romantic drama film ''Waiting to Exhale''. Rochon also had roles in the films ''Harlem Nights' ...

as Emira Eagle. ''Why Do Fools Fall in Love'' was not a commercial success and met with mixed reviews; the film grossed a total of $12,461,773 during its original theatrical run. The song "Harlem Roulette" by

the Mountain Goats The Mountain Goats are a United States band formed in Claremont, California, Claremont, California, by singer-songwriter John Darnielle. The band is currently based in Durham, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina. For many years, the sole me ...

, off its 2012 album '' Transcendental Youth'', contains references to Frankie Lymon, to the song "Seabreeze", and to Roulette Records. Frontman John Darnielle has stated that the song is about the last night of Lymon's life. Much of Lymon's

kinescope Kinescope , shortened to kine , also known as telerecording in Britain, is a recording of a television program on motion picture film directly through a lens focused on the screen of a video monitor. The process was pioneered during the 1940s ...

d footage from shows such as ''The Ed Sullivan Show'', ''American Bandstand'', ''Saturday Night Beechnut Show'' and the ''Mike Douglas Show'' remains unavailable due to copyright claims.

Discography

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers discography

Singles

; Gee releases: *1956-01: ee 1002" Why Do Fools Fall in Love" / "Please Be Mine" ¹ (#1 on the R&B chart for 5 weeks, US Pop #6, UK #1) *1956-04: ee 1012"

" / "I'm Not a Know-It-All" ² (#3 on R&B chart, US Pop #13) *1956-07: ee 1018" I Promise to Remember" / " Who Can Explain?" (double-sided hit on R&B chart (#10 and #7) (US Pop #57 (A-side))) *1956-09: ee 1022" The ABC's of Love" / "Share" (#8 on R&B chart, US Pop #77) *1956-11: ee 1026"

" / "Baby, Baby" (double-sided hit on UK chart #12 and #4) *1957-04: ee 1032"Teenage Love" / "Paper Castles" *1957-05: ee 1035"Love Is a Clown / Am I Fooling Myself Again" *1957-06: ee 1036"

Out in the Cold Again "Out in the Cold Again" is a song written by Ted Koehler and Rube Bloom and first performed by Glen Gray and the Casa Loma Orchestra. It reached #4 on the US chart in 1934. Other charting versions *In 1951, Richard Hayes released a version as ...

" / "Miracle in the Rain" ⁵ (#10 on R&B chart) *1957-07: ee 1039"

" / "Creation of Love" ³ (US Pop #20, UK #24) *1957-12: ee 1046"Everything to Me" / "Flip Flop" ⁴

Notes

* ¹ Released as by "the Teenagers" * ² Early copies released as by "the Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"; billing on later pressings changed to "Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers" * ³ Both sides of this release are actually Frankie Lymon solo recordings. * ⁴ billed as "the Teenagers" (lead vocal by Billie Lobrano) * ⁵ Released as by "the Teenagers featuring Frankie Lymon"

Album

*1956: ee 701''

Compilations

*1986: ''Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers: For Collectors Only'' (Murray Hill 148)

Frankie Lymon solo discography

Singles

;Roulette releases: *1957: oulette 4026"My Girl" / "So Goes My Love" (R&B #51) *1957: oulette 4035"Little Girl" / "It's Christmas Once Again" (R&B #30) *1958: oulette 4044"Thumb Thumb" / "Footsteps" (R&B #76) *1958: oulette 4068"Portable on My Shoulder" / "Mama Don't Allow It" (R&B #88) (US Pop #80/R&B #64) *1958: oulette 4093"Only Way to Love" / "Melinda" (R&B #47) *1959: oulette 4128"Up Jumped a Rabbit" / "No Matter What You've Done" (R&B #72) *1969: oulette 21095"/ "1-20-12 Forever' (R&B #55) ;Gee release: *1959: ee 1052"Goody Good Girl" / "I'm Not Too Young to Dream" (R&B #66) ;Roulette releases: *1960: oulette 4257"

" / "Creation of Love" (US Pop #58/ R&B #18) *1960: oulette 4283" Buzz Buzz Buzz" / "Waitin' in School" (R&B #61) *1961: oulette 4310" Jailhouse Rock" / "Silhouettes" (R&B #81) *1961: oulette 4348"Change Partners" / "So Young (And So in Love)" (R&B #61) *1961: oulette 4391"Young" / "I Put the Bomp" (featuring backing vocals by two members of the Delicates (Denise Ferri and Peggy Santiglia)) (R&B #90) ;Later releases: *1964: CF 11"To Each His Own" / "Teacher, Teacher" (R&B #75) (R&B #58) *1964: olumbia 4-43094"Somewhere" / "Sweet and Lovely" (R&B #66) *1969: ig Apple 100"I'm Sorry" / "Seabreeze" (R&B #43) (R&B #60)

Albums

*1956: ''Frankie Lymon And the Teenagers'' - 1981 Re-issue Roulette Y2-116-RO (Japan) ee 701*1957: ''Frankie Lymon at the London Palladium'' (Roulette) *1958: ''Rock & Roll with Frankie Lymon'' (Roulette) *1994: ''Complete Recordings'' ( Bear Family)

References

Bibliography

External links

at historyofrock.com

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lymon, Frankie 1942 births 1968 deaths American child singers American soul musicians Apex Records artists Boy sopranos Deaths by heroin overdose in New York (state) Musicians from Manhattan People from Harlem United States Army soldiers The Teenagers members Roulette Records artists Burials at Saint Raymond's Cemetery (Bronx) Drug-related deaths in New York City 20th-century African-American male singers 20th-century American male singers 20th-century American singers

Biography

1942–56: Early life/joining the Teenagers

1956: "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" success

1957–65: Solo career

1966–68: Later years

Death

Posthumous troubles

Legacy

Discography

Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers discography

Singles

Notes

Album

Compilations

Frankie Lymon solo discography

Singles

Albums

References

Further reading

Bibliography

External links